Drop-brake-shaft mechanism.



L. C. SPARKS.

DROP BRAKE SHAFT MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. 1914.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

@UQMW/ COLUMBIA PLANDGRAP" (10., WASHINGTON, D. c

L. C. SPARKS.

DROP BRAKE SHAFT MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. 1914.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ccLuMnlA PLANOGRAPH CO WASHINGTBN. 0. c.

inrn ears rrnnrorr cn I LEVI CLIFTON SPARKS, 0F MAPLEWOOD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNGR '10 AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, 015 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEVJ' DROP-BRAKE-SHAFT MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. id, 1915.

Application filed November 28, 1914. Serial No. 874,504.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEVI CLIFTON SPARKS, residing at Maplewood, St. Louis bounty, Missouri, and being a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-Brake-Shaft Mechanism, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the acoompanymg drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the eX- act details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view showing the improved brake shaft mechanism attached to the end of a car, the shaft being in section above the pawl and ratchet. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof applied in the same location. as in Fig. 1, the shaft being broken and carrying the hand wheel. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the brake mast mechanism, the car structure being shown in section. Fig. 4i is a horizontal section taken along the line 1--i of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is another horizontal section, but is taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and discloses the supporting plate and its relation to the brake shaft. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lower part of the brake mast mechanism showing the gravity pawl and supporting plate in position to permit the brake shaft to be lowered; and, Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the integral ratchet wheel and sleeve.

lit is a purpose of my present invention to provide means for permitting the brake shaft and its hand wheel to occupy a usual position under normal conditions, but to allow the same to be dropped or lowered to a non-interfering position, when circumstances require it, without disturbing the operativeness of the device.

Another object is to prevent an accidentaland made removable, which also allows it.

to be replaced by a similar device adapted to but which become evident hereinafter are to be understood as coming entirely within the scope of the invention.

In the drawings, 1 represents the end sill of a car. underframe and may be of other form or differently disclosed than the channel shown, a floor, as plate 2, resting upon its upper surface and in the present instance extending to the outer edge of the upper flange of the end sill. Attached to said end sill is a brake shaft step 3, here illustrated as comprising a pair of vertically disposed side or bracket walls 1, a brake shaft bearing 5 for the lower portion of a brake shaft, said bearing being intermediate the upper ends of said walls a and provided with a removable cap 6, and a bottom cross piece or base 7, connecting the lower ends of walls 1, all, except the cap 6, being integral parts of a casting. That said shaft bearing 5 and the upper ends of the walls 4.- may properly brace cach other, they are integrally united by suitably molded portions, as hollow blocks 8, each located between the upper portion of one of the walls 4.- and the bear ing 5. Said block portions 8 of the brake shaft step casting 3 are each provided with end walls 9 and 10, the former adapted to bear against a portion of the car, as the outer face of the web of end sill 1, and the latter forming a bearing surface against which cap 6 is adapted to be drawn by means of bolts 11. Said bolts 11 pass from the inner or unflanged side of end sill 1 through said sill, walls 9 and 10 of the block portions 8 of the brake shaft step casting 3 and cap 6, the parts being tightly clamped together by the nuts accessibly placed on the outer ends of bolts 11. Walls 1 of step casting 3 are provided with other means for attachment to the car, here illustrated as horizontal rib-reinforced flanges 12, arranged to lie against the under side of the lower flange of end sill 1, to which they are secured, as by rivets 13.

Integral base 7, which connects the lower portions of walls 4 is provided in its under side with a channel or recess 1 1, extending the full width of the casting 3, the vertical Walls of said recess 1% each containing a horizontally disposed groove 15 formed therein. Both grooves 15 occupy the same horizontal planes and are depicted as being open at one end only of said cross piece or base 7. Obviously, they may be open at both ends and be provided with a stop of some sort.

' positions, in the present instance a notch 19 sided with a may be cylindrical, a shoulder 25 lasing presconstituting such means, and having a depth corresponding to the distance plate 16 moves in changing from a supporting position to one of release. Said notch, as shown in Fig. 5, causes the edge in which it occurs to have outstanding, inset and connecting portions, the functions of which will appear hereinafter. Cooperating with the position-governing means to maintain the latter in either one of its given positions, and to guard it from accidental shifting, is a locking device, agravity. pawl 20, pivotally mounted on the exterior of one of the step casting walls 4i by a bolt 21, being adopted for this purpose in the embodiment of the invention illustrated. To assist in avoiding the possibilitv of an aceidental complete withdrawal or positiongoverning plate 16, the wall carrying the gravity pawl 20 is provided with a stop, as theintegral detcnt 22, which, of course, could be replaced by a removable stud or screw.

. Detent 22 is so located as to prevent pawl 20 from assuming any but a gmermngmeans retaining position. To completely withdraw plate 16, bolt 21 is removed and with it gravity pawl 20, whereupon plate 16 may be slid out of its grooves 15, contingent,

however, upon a disconnection of a brake shaft 23 from said plate 16.

Brake shaft 23 throughout the greater portion of its length preferably has an angular or non circular crosssection, but is proreduced lower end 2 1- which it at the bottom of the squared or other non-c1rcular portion of brake shaft 23. As

\ well shown in Figs. 2 and 5, said shoulder 25 rests upon the upper surface of plate16 and laps the metal forming the boundary of the narrow portion of slot 18, when brake shaft 23 occupies its upper or normal position. The corners of the inner edge of plate 16 abut the metal forming the inner terminals of grooves 15, and the outermost edge is in juxtaposition to the inner surface of gravity pawl 20. Hence, plate 16 is held immovable with respect to brake shaft 23, when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. Surrounding said brake shaft 23 is a sleeve 26, by choice, terminating at its upper end in an integral ratchet wheel 27, though the latter may be a separate piece, keyed or otherwise attached to said sleeve 26. The contour of the bore of said sleeve conforms to the shape of the preferably non-circular portion of brake shaft 23, but, when said shaft 23 is circular for any reason, a spline or other connecti on is provided between said shaft and sleeve 26, whereby the latter will be caused to rotate with shaft 23, when brake hand wheel is revolved. Mounted at a suitable point on the car, as upon the border of floor plate 2 that laps the upper flange of end sill l, is a pawl plate 29, provided with a stud for carrying a ratchet pawl 30 adapted to co perate with ratchet wheel 27 in a manner and for a purpose well known. Sleeve 26 ex tends downwardly, and, iassing through an apertured boss 31 on the upper side of base 7, projects slightly into recess lei, being held from downward movement by a flaring flange 32 adapted to rest upon boss 31. On sleeve 26, at a point coincident in height with brake mast bearing 5 and its cap 6, an enlargement 33, provided with an external annular groove 34 into which is adapted to project confo 'ming internal portions of said bearing and cap. lVhen cap 6 is fastened into place, sleeve 26 is held against displacement, but is revoluble in said bean ing and boss 31, and brake shaft 23 is VOW tically slidable within sleeve 26, subject to the control of plate 16. That portion of sleeve 26 located between the enlargement 33 and the flared flange 32 constitutes a winding drum 35 for the brake chain and is provided with a lug 36, or other attachment means, for said chain.

In using my improved drop brake shaft mechanism, the parts occupy the positions shown in full lines in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, when the car carrying it is loaded with lading that is readily confined within the interior limits of said our. Under these conditions, the brake hand wheel 28 is at a height customary for such b'ake wheels to have in cars equipped with standard nonslidable brake shafts. Shoulder 25 of the non-circular sleeve-driving portion of shaft 23 rests upon the upper surface of positiongoverning plate 16, the reducerL end 2 1 of brake shaft 23 occupying and projecting through the narrow-portion of slot 18 in plate 16. The inner corners of said plate 16 abutting the inner end walls of grooves 15 and the outstanding portion of the outer edge of said plate being in proximity to gravity pawl 20, as shown in Figs. 3. and 5, said plate 16 supports brake shaft 23 in its raised position, and cannot move to, allow said brake shaft to drop. When, however, the lading is such that it must project beyond the end of the car, gravity pawl 20 is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 6, whereupon lug 17 is grasped and plate 16 is pulled out until the indented or insert portion of the outer edge in the notched portion of said plate is in juxtaposition to the then inclined gravity pawl 20. Said gravity pawl is restrained from returning to its original position by the wall of the notch which is at right angles to the outer edge of plate 16, and which connects the outstanding and inset portions of said edge. The enlarged portion of slot 18 is thus brought into alinem'ent with brake shaft 23, and the latter may then be dropped or lowered therethrough to bring the brake hand wheel down in juxtaposition to the ratchet wheel 27. Plate 16 is again locked against displacement, as seen in dot and dash lines in Fig. 5, the notch therein closely embracing part of the rear surface and one side of gravity pawl 20, and the cross sectional perimeter of the non-circular portion of brake shaft 23 being inscribed with the enlarged portion of slot 18, restraining the plate from movement. The brake shaft 23 is at all times in engagement with plate 16, preventing the withdrawal of the latter, which can only be accomplished by raising said brake shaft out of engagement with slot 18, and by removing gravity pawl 20.

What I claim is:

1. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a. brake shaft step, a reciprocatory member carried thereby and provided with a variant aperture having communicating portions of greater and less areas, and a slidable brake shaft having a main portion and a reduced lower end, the latter projecting into said aperture, said reciprocatory member being movable to register the smaller or larger aperture portion with said shaft main portion to maintain the brake shaft supported or to permit it to be lowered, respectively, and means for locking said member in each of its registering positions.

In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a reciprocatory member provided with a varlant aperture formed in different portions to respectively permit and prevent the passage of a brake shaft, a brake shaft step. carrying said member and means for limiting the movement of the latter in one direction, a slidable brake shaft having a reduced lower end projecting into said aperture, and adjustable means adapted to cooperate either with said movement-limiting means to re tain said reciprocatory member in a position to support the brake shaft, or with the brake shaft to position said member to permit said shaft to be lowered.

3. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaft step having side walls joined in their upper portions by a semi-circular hearing for a sleeve and a bearing-supporting structure and in their lower portions by an apertured sleeve-supporting base, a cap for said bearing, a revoluble sleeve comprising a drum portion and an extension carrying a ratchet wheel, a pawl cooperating therewith, said bearing, cap and sleeve being provided with meshing annuli adapted to restrain the sleeve from longitudinal movement, a sleevedriving brake shaft slidable through said sleeve and base, and a reciprocatory member slidably mounted in said step and having a variant aperture formed in different portions to respectively hold the brake shaft supported or to permit it to be lowered.

i. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaft step comprising brackets, an apertured sleeve-supporting base, a semicircular bearing for a sleeve, a brake stepattaching structure supporting said bearing and auxiliary step-attaching means, a cap for said bearing, a drum sleeve and a ratchet carried thereby, a controlling pawl for said ratchet, slidable sleeve-driving brake shaft with a reducedlOwer 'end,'and a reciprocating member provided with a variant aperture adapted to receive said reduced shaft end and formed with differently dimensioned communicating portions, different portions adapted upon being registered with said brake shaft to respectively hold the same supported or permit it to be lowered.

5. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake step comprising brackets, an apertured sleeve-supporting base, a semi-circular bearing for a sleeve and a brake step-attaching structure connecting said brackets and bearing, a cap for said bearing, means for securing said cap to the bearing and said step-attaching structure to. a car, a drum sleeve, a sleeve-driving brake shaft slidable through the same and said base and having a reduced lower end, and a reciprocatory slide carried by said step and provided with a variant aperture formed with differently dimensioned portions adapted to receive the lower shaft end, one portion being adapted to maintain said shaft supported and anotherportion to permit it to be lowered.

6. Ina drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake step provided with a sleeve-bearing and an apertured base recessed to form guideways, a drum sleeve supported upon said base and in said bearing and base aperture, a vertically slidable sleeve-driving brake shaft with a reduced lower end, a re ciprocatory slide mounted in said guideways and provided with a dual-part aperture, one part being dimensioned to cause one ofsaid positions.

the brake shaft to be supported and the other part being shapedto allow the passage of said shaft through the slide to permit the brake shaft to .be lowered, both aperture parts being adapted to receive said reduced shaft end.

7. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaftstep, a reciprocatory slide posi tioned therein andprovided with a variant aperture and difi'erentlydisposed positiondetermining means for said slide, a slidable brake shaft formed to cooperate with said aperture to be maintained supported or to be lowered, a movable stop carried by said step adapted to cooperate with said positiondetermining means to limit the movement of said slide in one direction. to positions controlling the relationship of said brake shaft and'variant aperture, and means for holding the slide against movement in the opposite direction when said slide .is in 8. In a drop brake step mechanism, a brakeshaft step having a base recessed and provided with guideways, stops in the latter, a reciprocatory slide having a variant aperture positioned in said recess and mounted in said guideways, a slidable brake shaft formed to cooperate with said aperturetobe maintained supported or to be lowered, said slide having an edge with outstanding, inset and connecting portions, a movable gravity pawl carried by said step adaptedto be engaged by said portions of said slide edge, said pawl, outstanding slide edgeportion and said stops being adapted to retain the slide in one position, and said shaft being adapted to interlock with a portion of said aperture and to co-act with said pawl and inset and connecting slide portions to hold the slide in another posltion, and a movemezit-limiting detent for said pawl.

9. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaft, a brake shaft step through which said shaft is movable, a reciprocatory 7 member slidable in said step and adapted to maintainsaid shaft supported and to permit the sameto be lowered and means for locking said reciprocatory member in either a shaft-supporting or unsupporting position..

10. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a

brake shaft step, a brake shaft movable therethrough, position-governing means reciprocatingly mounted in said step, means for moving said positionrgoverning means to alter the position of said brake shaft and means for locking said position-governing means in a plurality of shaft-altering positions. I

11. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaft step, a brake shaft movable therethrough, a reciprocatory slide adapted to support said shaft and to permit it to be lowered, means for locking said slide in a brake shaft-supporting position operable to permit said slide to be moved to a position permitting the lowering of said shaft and adapted to lock the slide in the latter position after the lowering of said shaft.

12. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a slidable brake shaft, means movable to different positions to support said brake shaft in one position and to permit it to be lowered therethrough when in another position and means for locking said shaft-supporting-and-loWering-permitting means in both of said positions.

13. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaft step, a slidable brake shaft, a member carried by said step and provided with an aperture having communicating portions of greater and less areas, said member being movable to register the lesser or greater aperture portion with the crosssectional area of said shaft to support the latter and to permit it to be lowered, respectively, and means for locking said member in each of its registering positions.

14. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a slidable brake shaft, a member provided with larger and smaller openings and a support for said member, said member being movable to register the smaller and larger openings with said shaft to respectively sup port said shaft and to permit it to be lowered, and means for locking said member in each of its registering positions.

15. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaft step provided with a sleevebearing, a cap for said bearing, a revoluble chain-winding sleeve, said bearing, cap and sleeve being provided with relation-preserw ing meshing annuli, a slidable sleeve-driving brake shaft and position-governing means movable to different positions to maintain said brake shaft raised and to permit it to be lowered.

16. In a drop brake shaft mechanism, a brake shaft step provided with a sleevebearing, a cap for said bearing, a revoluble chain-winding sleeve having a ratchet wheel formed therewith, pawl for said wheel. relation-preserving meshing annuli on said. bearing, cap and sleeve, a sleeve-driving brake shaft and brake shaft position-governing means movable to different positions to support said shaft or to allow it to be lowered.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

LEVI CLIFTON SPARKS.

Witnesses OSCAR Hoonnnne, RODNEY BEDELL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

